A Study of Human Rights Violation by Police in India

In India, an attempt has been made since 1999 to gather information on details of cases where human rights were violated due to Police excesses such as `Illegal Detentions’, `Fake Encounters’, `Extortion’, `Torture’, etc. by National Crime Record Bureau, New Delhi and National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, Under Home Ministry, Government of India. The details are presented by NCRB’s Crime in India Report 2008, that as per the report 253 cases of Human Rights Violation by Police were reported throughout the country during 2008. Only 14 Policemen were charge-sheeted and only 08 of them were convicted for these Human Rights Violations during the year. Chhattisgarh has reported the maximum 233 cases (92.1% of such cases). 59 out of 253 cases were reported under crime head ‘Torture’. 39 and 33 cases were reported underthe head of ‘Extortion’ and ‘Failure in taking action’ respectively. 25 cases reported under the head of ‘False implication’. On the other hand, also Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) in its latest report Torture in India 2009 states that in the last eight years (from April 2001 to March 2009), an estimated 1,184 persons were killed in police custody in India. Most of the victims were killed as a result of torture within the first 48 hours after being taken into custody. The official data available with (TwoCircles.net) says every second police encounter that takes place in the country is fake. Colonial-era police laws enable state and local politicians to interfere routinely in police operations, sometimes directing police officers to drop investigations against people with political connections, including known criminals, and to harass or file false charges against political opponents. These practices corrode public confidence

Monorail/Foxa2 regulates floorplate differentiation and specification of oligodendrocytes, serotonergic raphe neurones and cranial motoneurones

In this study, we elucidate the roles of the winged-helix transcription factor Foxa2 in ventral CNS development in zebrafish. Through cloning of monorail (mol), which we find encodes the transcription factor Foxa2, and phenotypic analysis of mol(-/-) embryos, we show that floorplate is induced in the absence of Foxa2 function but fails to further differentiate. In mol(-/-) mutants, expression of Foxa and Hh family genes is not maintained in floorplate cells and lateral expansion of the floorplate fails to occur. Our results suggest that this is due to defects both in the regulation of Hh activity in medial floorplate cells as well as cell-autonomous requirements for Foxa2 in the prospective laterally positioned floorplate cells themselves. Foxa2 is also required for induction and/or patterning of several distinct cell types in the ventral CNS. Serotonergic neurones of the raphe nucleus and the trochlear motor nucleus are absent in mol(-/-) embryos, and oculomotor and facial motoneurones ectopically occupy ventral CNS midline positions in the midbrain and hindbrain. There is also a severe reduction of prospective oligodendrocytes in the midbrain and hindbrain. Finally, in the absence of Foxa2, at least two likely Hh pathway target genes are ectopically expressed in more dorsal regions of the midbrain and hindbrain ventricular neuroepithelium, raising the possibility that Foxa2 activity may normally be required to limit the range of action of secreted Hh proteins

Abrogation of Stem Loop Binding Protein (Slbp) function leads to a failure of cells to transition from proliferation to differentiation, retinal coloboma and midline axon guidance deficits

Through forward genetic screening for mutations affecting visual system development, we identified prominent coloboma and cell-autonomous retinal neuron differentiation, lamination and retinal axon projection defects in eisspalte (ele) mutant zebrafish. Additional axonal deficits were present, most notably at midline axon commissures. Genetic mapping and cloning of the ele mutation showed that the affected gene is slbp, which encodes a conserved RNA stem-loop binding protein involved in replication dependent histone mRNA metabolism. Cells throughout the central nervous system remained in the cell cycle in ele mutant embryos at stages when, and locations where, post-mitotic cells have differentiated in wild-type siblings. Indeed, RNAseq analysis showed down-regulation of many genes associated with neuronal differentiation. This was coincident with changes in the levels and spatial localisation of expression of various genes implicated, for instance, in axon guidance, that likely underlie specific ele phenotypes. These results suggest that many of the cell and tissue specific phenotypes in ele mutant embryos are secondary to altered expression of modules of developmental regulatory genes that characterise, or promote transitions in, cell state and require the correct function of Slbp-dependent histone and chromatin regulatory genes

A Case Report of Gastrointestinal Bleeding Due to Gastric Lipoma

Abstract: Benign Gastric tumors are rare and generally account for less than 10% of all stomach tumors. Gastric lipoma is a rare tumor that constitutes approximately 3% of all benign tumors of the stomach and mainly is seen as a submucosal mass. Most gastric lipoma are asymptomatic and are found accidentally. Occasionally they can cause symptoms such as gastrointestinal bleeding, obstruction, abdominal pain and intussuception. CT scan and endoscopy are helpful in diagnosis. The main modality of treatment is surgery. Diagnosis is confirmed by histology. In this article, a patient with weakness, fatigue, and melena complaints is presented. On gastric endoscopy a yellowish submucosal mass was seen in antrum. Abdominal CT scan disclosed a mass with fat density resembling lipoma. The patient underwent surgery and diagnosis of lipoma was confirmed by histology. Although gastric lipoma is rare, it should be considered in the assessment and differential diagnosis of hemorrhagic submucosal masses in the stomach. Keywords: Lipoma, Gastrointestinal bleedin

Involvement of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Action of Ciprofloxacin against Escherichia coli

Ciprofloxacin is an important and commonly used member of the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics. Ciprofloxacin inhibits DNA topoisomerase II and DNA topoisomerase IV activities, eventually leading to bacterial cell death. In addition, an increase of reactive oxygen species in the bacterial cells in response to ciprofloxacin has been shown. We investigated the role of reactive oxygen species in the antibacterial action of ciprofloxacin by studying the effects of different antioxidant compounds on ciprofloxacin susceptibility of Escherichia coli. Among the antioxidants checked, glutathione and ascorbic acid provided substantial protection against ciprofloxacin. The involvement of superoxide anion (O(2)(−)) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in the antibacterial action of ciprofloxacin was analyzed using superoxide dismutase, catalase, and alkyl hydroperoxide reductase knockout strains of E. coli. The effects of multicopy sod genes on ciprofloxacin susceptibility of E. coli were also analyzed. On the basis of our results, we conclude that O(2)(−) and H(2)O(2) may be involved in antibacterial action of ciprofloxacin. Our findings that glutathione gave protection against other fluoroquinolones and not against nonfluoroquinolone antibiotics imply that reactive oxygen species may have a similar role in the antibacterial action of all these fluoroquinolones and that glutathione-mediated protection is not a general phenomenon but specific to fluoroquinolones. These observations are of significance, as fluoroquinolones are important antibiotics with immense therapeutic value, and the effectiveness of treatment by these drugs may be affected by dietary intake and cellular levels of these antioxidants

Effects of Multiple Doses of Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Agonist on the Luteal-phase Support in Assisted Reproductive Cycles: A Clinical Trial Study

Background: The effect of adding gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist on the luteal phase support in assisted reproductive technique (ART) cycles is controversial. Objective: To determine the effects of adding multiple doses of GnRH agonist to the routine luteal phase support on ART cycle outcomes. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial study included 200 participants who underwent the antagonist protocol at the Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Yazd, Iran, between January and March 2020. Of the 200, 168 cases who met the inclusion criteria were equally divided into two groups – the case and the control groups. Both groups received progesterone in the luteal phase, following which the case group received GnRH agonist subcutaneously (0/1 mg triptorelin) zero, three, and six days after the fresh embryo transfer, while the control group did not receive anything. Finally, chemical and clinical pregnancy rates, number of mature oocytes, fertilization rate, total dose of gonadotropin, and the estradiol level were determined. Results: The baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. No significant difference was observed between embryo transfer cycles. Clinical results showed that differences between the fertilization rate, chemical and clinical pregnancies were not significant. Conclusion: The results showed that receiving multiple doses of GnRH agonist in the luteal phase of ART cycles neither improves embryo implantation nor the pregnancy rates; therefore, further studies are required. Key words: Luteal phase, GnRH agonist, ART, Pregnancy rate

Sperm parameters, DNA integrity, and protamine expression in patients with type II diabetes mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is the most common endocrine disorder affecting many human physiological systems and tissues, including the reproductive organs in men. The age of individuals suffering from this disease has been falling rapidly in recent years. This study compared the effect of DM on sperm parameters, chromatin quality, and apoptosis, as well as the expression profile of protamine genes in men with and without DM using molecular and cytochemical assays. Sixty semen samples from the control group (N = 30) and case group (N = 30) were collected. There was a significant decrease in the percentages of sperm parameters in cases versus the controls (p˂0.05). Despite significantly higher percentages detected in spermatozoa with AB+, CMA3+, and TUNEL+, no change was demonstrated regarding protamines mRNA levels, as well as the P1/P2 ratios in cases in comparison with controls. In contrast, significant positive correlations were found between the quantity of P1 and P2 transcripts (r = 0.944, p <.001). The data indicated that DM not only caused a decrease in the quality of sperm parameters but also affected the sperm maturation process by increasing the substantial implications in the sperm DNA/chromatin levels of DM patients.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder affecting many human physiological systems and tissues, including the reproductive organs in men. The age of individuals suffering from this disease has been falling rapidly in recent years. What do the results of this study add? We found that DM not only caused a decrease in the quality of the sperm parameters, including motility and concentration, and an increase in morphological abnormalities but also affected the sperm maturation process by increasing the substantial implications in sperm DNA/chromatin levels of DM patients. Despite there being no significant difference in the mRNA levels of protamines between the two groups, our findings showed a positive correlation between the mRNA levels of P1 and progressive sperm motility. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Based on the results of this study, chromatin and DNA assessments can have important implications for increasing fertility, as complementary tests, in combination with routine laboratory tests. Since sperm standard parameters are not capable of examining the condition of the sperm nucleus, men with abnormal sperm DNA can also have normal spermatogram, and diabetes is prevalent in reproductive age. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group